U.S. patent number 11,194,030 [Application Number 16/585,343] was granted by the patent office on 2021-12-07 for vector sensor array surface wave radar.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The MITRE Corporation. The grantee listed for this patent is The MITRE Corporation. Invention is credited to Kevin M. Cuomo, Nicholas E. Destefano, Cecelia R. Franzini, Janet L. Werth.
United States Patent |
11,194,030 |
Destefano , et al. |
December 7, 2021 |
Vector sensor array surface wave radar
Abstract
System and methods for implementing a vector sensor array
surface wave radar is provided. In one or more examples, the system
can include a vector sensor array antenna that includes
electromagnetic elements collectively configured to receive surface
wave reflections generated by radar transmit antenna waves
reflecting back from targets of interest. Once received by the
vector sensor array, in one or more examples, the system can
further include components that can process the incoming signal and
use the incoming single to determine the location of one or more
targets. In one or more examples, the vector surface array antenna
can include three separate loop antennas that are arranged
orthogonally to one another, and three dipole antennas that are
arranged orthogonally to one another. In one or more examples, the
vector surface array antenna can be configured to receive signals
in the high frequency (HF) band.
Inventors: |
Destefano; Nicholas E.
(Chelmsford, MA), Werth; Janet L. (Bedford, MA),
Franzini; Cecelia R. (Worcester, MA), Cuomo; Kevin M.
(Carlisle, MA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
The MITRE Corporation |
McLean |
VA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
The MITRE Corporation
(N/A)
|
Family
ID: |
1000005980597 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/585,343 |
Filed: |
September 27, 2019 |
Prior Publication Data
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|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20210096231 A1 |
Apr 1, 2021 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01S
7/292 (20130101); G01S 7/03 (20130101); G01S
13/0218 (20130101); H01Q 21/06 (20130101); G01S
2013/0227 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G01S
13/02 (20060101); G01S 7/03 (20060101); G01S
7/292 (20060101); H01Q 21/06 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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105676168 |
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Jun 2016 |
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CN |
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106682615 |
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May 2017 |
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CN |
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107064901 |
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Aug 2017 |
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CN |
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208614792 |
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Mar 2019 |
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CN |
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2018/178913 |
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Oct 2018 |
|
WO |
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2019/035877 |
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Feb 2019 |
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WO |
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Other References
Pan et al. (Aug. 2017). "MIMO High Frequency Surface Wave Radar
Using Sparse Frequency FMCW Signals," International Journal of
Antennas and Propagation 2017: 1-16. cited by applicant .
Ponsford et al. (May 2010). "A Review of High Frequency Surface
Wave Radar for Detection and Tracking of Ships," Turkish Journal of
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences 18(3): 409-428. cited
by applicant .
Ponsford et al. (Jul. 2017). "Towards a Cognitive Radar: Canada's
Third-Generation High Frequency Surface Wave Radar (HFSWR) for
Surveillance of the 200 Nautical Mile Exclusive Economic Zone,"
Sensors 17(1588): 13 pages. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Brainard; Timothy A
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Morrison & Foerster LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A radar system configured to determine a location of a target
using received surface waves, the radar system comprising: an
antenna, wherein the antenna includes a plurality of components
configured to receive one or more surface waves; a receiver,
wherein the receiver is configured to receive and process one or
more signals received by the plurality of components of the
antenna; a memory; and one or more processors, wherein the one or
more processors are configured to execute instructions stored on
the memory that when executed by the one or more processors cause
the one or more processors to: set a first azimuth value and a
first elevation angle; generate a first steering vector, wherein
the first steering vector is generated based on the first azimuth
value and the first elevation angle; determine an amplitude of a
first target signal based on the generated first steering vector
and the one or more signals received at the antenna; compare the
determined amplitude of the first target signal with a
pre-determined threshold; and if the determined amplitude of the
first target signal is found to be greater than the pre-determined
threshold, then determine that a first target exists at a first
location associated with the first azimuth value and the first
elevation angle value.
2. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors
are further caused to: set a second azimuth value and a second
elevation angle; generate a second steering vector, wherein the
second steering vector is generated based on the second azimuth
value and the second elevation angle; determine an amplitude of a
second target signal based on the generated second steering vector
and the one or more signals received at the antenna; compare the
determined amplitude of the second target signal with the
pre-determined threshold; and if the determined amplitude of the
second target signal is found to be greater than the pre-determined
threshold, then determine that a second target exists at a second
location associated with the second azimuth value and the second
elevation angle value.
3. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of components
of the antenna comprises: a plurality of loop antennas arranged
orthogonally with respect to one another, and wherein the plurality
of loop antennas are configured to generate one or more magnetic
field readings; and a plurality of dipole antennas arranged
orthogonally with respect to one another, and wherein the plurality
of dipole antennas are configured to generate one or more
electrical field readings.
4. The radar system of claim 3, wherein each loop antenna of the
plurality of loop antennas and each dipole antenna of the plurality
of dipole antennas is coupled to its own signal processing
front-end circuit, wherein each signal processing front-end circuit
is configured to amplify and filter signals received on its
corresponding loop antenna and dipole antenna.
5. The radar system of claim 4, wherein each signal processing
front-end is coupled to the receiver.
6. The radar system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of loop
antennas and the plurality of dipole antennas are configured to
receive electromagnetic energy in the high frequency (HF) signal
spectrum.
7. The radar system of claim 6, wherein the receiver is configured
to reject horizontal and circularly polarized signals received from
the plurality of loop antennas and the plurality of dipole
antennas.
8. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors
are further caused to apply pulse compression to the received one
or more surface waves.
9. The radar system of claim 1, wherein determining the amplitude
of the first target signal is based on a calibration vector
associated with the antenna.
10. The radar system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors
are further caused to apply a time alignment process to the
received one or more surface waves.
11. A method for determining a location of a target based on one or
more surface waves received on a radar system, the method
comprising: setting a first azimuth value and a first elevation
angle; generating a first steering vector, wherein the first
steering vector is generated based on the first azimuth value and
the first elevation angle; determining an amplitude of a first
target signal based on the generated first steering vector and one
or more signals received at an antenna; comparing the determined
amplitude of the first target signal with a pre-determined
threshold; and if the determined amplitude of the first target
signal is found to be greater than the pre-determined threshold,
then determining that a first target exists at a first location
associated with the first azimuth value and the first elevation
angle value.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:
setting a second azimuth value and a second elevation angle;
generating a second steering vector, wherein the second steering
vector is generated based on the second azimuth value and the
second elevation angle; determining an amplitude of a second target
signal based on the generated second steering vector and one or
more signals received at the antenna; comparing the determined
amplitude of the second target signal with the pre-determined
threshold; and if the determined amplitude of the second target
signal is found to be greater than the pre-determined threshold,
then determining that a second target exists at a second location
associated with the second azimuth value and the second elevation
angle value.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the antenna comprises: a
plurality of loop antennas arranged orthogonally with respect to
one another, and wherein the plurality of loop antennas are
configured to generate one or more magnetic field readings; and a
plurality of dipole antennas arranged orthogonally with respect to
one another, and wherein the plurality of dipole antennas are
configured to generate one or more electrical field readings.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein each loop antenna of the
plurality of loop antennas and each dipole antenna of the plurality
of dipole antennas is coupled to its own signal processing
front-end circuit, wherein each signal processing front-end circuit
is configured to amplify and filter signals received on its
corresponding loop antenna and dipole antenna.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein each signal processing
front-end is coupled to a receiver configured to receive and
process one or more signals received by the antenna.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of loop antennas
and the plurality of dipole antennas are configured to receive
electromagnetic energy in the high frequency (HF) signal
spectrum.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein a receiver of the radar system
is configured to reject horizontal and circularly polarized signals
received from the plurality of loop antennas and the plurality of
dipole antennas.
18. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises
applying pulse compression to the received one or more surface
waves.
19. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the amplitude of
the first target signal is based on a calibration vector associated
with the antenna.
20. The method of claim 11, wherein the method comprises applying a
time alignment process to the received one or more surface
waves.
21. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one
or more programs for determining a location of a target based on
one or more surface waves, the one or more programs comprising
instructions, which when executed by an electronic device, cause
the electronic device to: set a first azimuth value and a first
elevation angle; generate a first steering vector, wherein the
first steering vector is generated based on the first azimuth value
and the first elevation angle; determine an amplitude of a first
target signal based on the generated first steering vector and one
or more signals received at an antenna; compare the determined
amplitude of the first target signal with a pre-determined
threshold; and if the determined amplitude of the first target
signal is found to be greater than the pre-determined threshold,
then determine that a first target exists at a first location
associated with the first azimuth value and the first elevation
angle value.
22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
21, wherein the electronic device is further caused to: set a
second azimuth value and a second elevation angle; generate a
second steering vector, wherein the second steering vector is
generated based on the second azimuth value and the second
elevation angle; determine an amplitude of a second target signal
based on the generated second steering vector and one or more
signals received at the antenna; compare the determined amplitude
of the second target signal with the pre-determined threshold; and
if the determined amplitude of the second target signal is found to
be greater than the pre-determined threshold, then determine that a
second target exists at a second location associated with the
second azimuth value and the second elevation angle value.
23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium claim 21,
wherein the antenna comprises: a plurality of loop antennas
arranged orthogonally with respect to one another, and wherein the
plurality of loop antennas are configured to generate one or more
magnetic field readings; and a plurality of dipole antennas
arranged orthogonally with respect to one another, and wherein the
plurality of dipole antennas are configured to generate one or more
electrical field readings.
24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
23, wherein each loop antenna of the plurality of loop antennas and
each dipole antenna of the plurality of dipole antennas is coupled
to its own signal processing front-end circuit, wherein each signal
processing front-end circuit is configured to amplify and filter
signals received on its corresponding loop antenna and dipole
antenna.
25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
24, wherein each signal processing front-end is coupled to a
receiver.
26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
23, wherein the plurality of loop antennas and the plurality of
dipole antennas are configured to receive electromagnetic energy in
the high frequency (HF) signal spectrum.
27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
26, wherein the electronic device includes a receiver configured to
reject horizontal and circularly polarized signals received from
the plurality of loop antennas and the plurality of dipole
antennas.
28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
21, wherein the electronic device is caused to apply pulse
compression to the received one or more surface waves.
29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
21, wherein determining the amplitude of the first target signal is
based on a calibration vector associated with the antenna.
30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
21, wherein the electronic device is caused to apply a time
alignment process to the received one or more surface waves.
Description
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for implementing a
vector sensor array surface wave radar. These systems and methods
can be used to detect the location of maritime targets that may not
be detectable using conventional radar systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Radar is a detection tool that is often used to determine the range
and location of distant objects. As an example, radar has long been
employed as an effective tool for identifying and tracking aircraft
during flight. Radar data can be used by commercial and military
enterprises to "track" various aircraft transiting a given
airspace, and can also be used to track terrestrial and maritime
targets.
Radar systems can include a transmitter that transmits
electromagnetic waves through an antenna. As the waves propagate in
space, they may eventually collide with an object and be reflected
back towards the antenna. The antenna can then be equipped to
receive the reflection, and the received reflection can be
processed by the radar system to determine various properties of
the object that caused the initially transmitted wave to be
reflected back.
In addition to tracking objects in the air or space, radar can also
be used to track terrestrial objects. However, using radar to track
sea-based or maritime objects can present a challenge. Radar
systems are configured to detect objects within their line of
sight. In other words, there must be a path that begins at the
transmitter and ends at the object being detected for the
electromagnetic energy to travel across in order to be able to see
the object using the radar system. However, line of sight
requirements for radar can prove to be problematic when trying to
employ a radar system to detect maritime targets.
In the maritime context, the use of radar to detect targets such as
boats can present issues with respect to the curvature of the
earth. If a radar wave is transmitted from the shore, it will
propagate across the surface of the ocean. However, as the distance
from the transmitter becomes greater, the surface of the ocean will
curve, while the radar wave may continue on straight trajectory.
Thus, if a boat is situated far enough away from the radar, the
radar may be unable to detect the boat because the curvature of the
earth may place the boat out of the line of sight of the radar
system.
Over-the-Horizon (OTH) radars can be employed in contexts where the
curvature of the earth may limit a conventional radar system's
ability to detect far off targets. OTH radars can include radar
systems that are specially configured to detect targets at very
long ranges beyond the horizon of the radar. One example of an OTH
radar is a "surface wave" radar. Surface wave radars generate
electromagnetic waves that, due to their frequency of transmission,
allow favorable conditions for propagation along the surface of a
medium such as water. In this way, even though the earth may curve
at longer distances, the wave will still propagate along the
surface of the water, and thus can make contact with targets that
are not in the line of sight of the radar. While surface radars are
able to illuminate targets at a further distance, detecting and
processing reflected signals from surface radars can present a
challenge due to noise and other radio wave interference.
In order to improve the signal quality, an OTH radar designer may
choose to implement a radar system with a large footprint that has
the capability of transmitting powerful signals so that when the
reflection is received from a target there is ample power left in
the reflection to facilitate accurate detection. However,
implementing large radar stations to implement an OTH radar system
may not be feasible due to the geographic constraints of the radar
station as well as the cost in both land usage and hardware.
Thus an OTH radar system that is compact while simultaneously
having the signal processing capabilities to process low power and
low SNR signals to determine the range of maritime targets is
desirable in order to provide such capability without the hardware
and geographic costs associated conventional OTH radar systems.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
Accordingly, systems and methods for implementing an OTH radar
using a compact design and enhanced signal processing capabilities
are provided. In one or more examples of the disclosure, the OTH
radar can transmit signals in the high frequency (HF) range. The
antenna used to transmit and receive the HF signals can be
configured as a vector sensor array with a plurality of dipoles and
loop antennas so as to receive signals from all components of the
electromagnetic field.
The OTH radar system can also include front-end signal processing
electronics that are configured to amplify the signal and maximize
a signal-to-noise ratio of the signal so that it can be later
processed to extract location information regarding one or more
targets. Finally, in one or more examples of the disclosure, the
OTH radar system can receive data on each of the six antennas of
the vectors surface array. To determine the location of a target,
the data received at each of the six antennas can be processed
using an algorithm in which the Poynting vector of the antenna is
solved for using an assumption that is made regarding the angle of
the beam. The angles that yield the maximum values of the Poynting
vector can be determined and then used to determine the location of
a target.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary radar system according to examples
of the disclosure.
FIG. 2 illustrates another exemplary radar system according to
examples of the disclosure.
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary over-the-horizon radar system
according to examples of the disclosure.
FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary HF vector surface array antenna
according to examples of the disclosure.
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary front-end signal processing system
according to examples of the disclosure.
FIGS. 6A-6B illustrate an exemplary process for processing a
plurality of data signals received at a vector surface array
according to examples of the disclosure.
FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a computing device in accordance
with one embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the following description of the disclosure and embodiments,
reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which are shown,
by way of illustration, specific embodiments that can be practiced.
It is to be understood that other embodiments and examples can be
practiced and changes can be made without departing from the scope
of the disclosure.
In addition, it is also to be understood that the singular forms
"a," "an," and "the" used in the following description are intended
to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly
indicates otherwise. It is also to be understood that the term
"and/or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all
possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed
items. It is further to be understood that the terms "includes,"
"including," "comprises," and/or "comprising," when used herein,
specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps,
operations, elements, components, and/or units but do not preclude
the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, components, units, and/or groups
thereof.
Some portions of the detailed description that follow are presented
in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations
on data bits within a computer memory. These algorithmic
descriptions and representations are the means used by those
skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the
substance of their work to others skilled in the art. An algorithm
is here, and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence
of steps (instructions) leading to a desired result. The steps are
those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities.
Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of
electrical, magnetic, or optical signals capable of being stored,
transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It is
convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to
refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols,
characters, terms, numbers, or the like. Furthermore, it is also
convenient at times to refer to certain arrangements of steps
requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities as modules
or code devices without loss of generality.
However, all of these and similar terms are to be associated with
the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient
labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated
otherwise as apparent from the following discussion, it is
appreciated that, throughout the description, discussions utilizing
terms such as "processing," "computing," "calculating,"
"determining," "displaying," or the like refer to the action and
processes of a computer system, or similar electronic computing
device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as
physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system
memories or registers or other such information storage,
transmission, or display devices.
Certain aspects of the present invention include process steps and
instructions described herein in the form of an algorithm. It
should be noted that the process steps and instructions of the
present invention could be embodied in software, firmware, or
hardware, and, when embodied in software, could be downloaded to
reside on and be operated from different platforms used by a
variety of operating systems.
The present invention also relates to a device for performing the
operations herein. This device may be specially constructed for the
required purposes, or it may comprise a general-purpose computer
selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored
in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored in a
non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium, such as, but not
limited to, any type of disk, including floppy disks, optical
disks, CD-ROMs, magnetic-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs),
random access memories (RAMs), EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical
cards, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any
type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions and each
coupled to a computer system bus. Furthermore, the computers
referred to in the specification may include a single processor or
may be architectures employing multiple processor designs for
increased computing capability.
The methods, devices, and systems described herein are not
inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus.
Various general-purpose systems may also be used with programs in
accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient to
construct a more specialized apparatus to perform the required
method steps. The required structure for a variety of these systems
will appear from the description below. In addition, the present
invention is not described with reference to any particular
programming language. It will be appreciated that a variety of
programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the
present invention as described herein.
Described herein are systems and methods for implementing a vector
sensor array that is configured to detect HF surface wave
reflections from maritime targets and process the reflections to
determine the range and approximate location of the target.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary radar system according to examples
of the disclosure. In the example of FIG. 1, the system 100 can
include an antenna 102 that is configured to transmit and receive
electromagnetic waves at a particular frequency or frequency range.
In one or more examples, the transmit and receive capabilities of
the antenna 102 can be implemented in two separate antennas such
that a first antenna is used to transmit electromagnetic waves and
a second antenna is used to receive any reflections of
electromagnetic energy.
In the example of FIG. 1 which shows a single antenna 102, the
antenna 102 can transmit one or more electromagnetic waves 104 that
are propagated over free space as shown in the figure. In one or
more examples, as the electromagnetic waves 104 propagate in space
they may strike a target 106. Target 106, in one or more examples
can represent an object in free space such as a vehicle or airplane
that the user of the system 100 may wish to identify and discover
details about its location in free space.
When the electromagnetic waves 104 transmitted by antenna 102
strikes target 106, the collision may generate one or more
reflections 108. Reflections 108 can also take the form of
electromagnetic energy, and the reflections 108 can emanate from
target 106 in free space until they arrive at the antenna 102. A
receiver (not pictured) can receive the reflections 108 from the
target 106 and analyze the waves to determine both the angle,
range, and velocity of the target 106.
Radars such as the one depicted in FIG. 1 can image targets that
are within its line of sight. In other words, there must be a line
of sight between the antennas such that the electromagnetic waves
104 emanating from the antenna 102 have a straight line path from
the antenna to the target. If such a line of sight does not exist,
the electromagnetic waves 104 may not ever strike the target 106
and thus the system 100 may not be able to obtain any data
regarding the targets location, range, and speed. The above
requirement, i.e., that the radar have a line of sight, with
respect to the target, can hinder the ability of the radar to
detect certain targets, as discussed in further detail below.
FIG. 2 illustrates another exemplary radar system according to
examples of the disclosure. In the example of FIG. 2, the radar
system 200 can be positioned so as to acquire range, location, and
velocity information regarding maritime targets. For example, the
radar system 200 can be positioned so as to target boats in the
ocean that may be positioned at long ranges away from the system
200. Just as in the example of FIG. 1, the radar system 200 can
include an antenna 202 that is configured to emit electromagnetic
energy 204 so as to range potential targets. However, in the
example of FIG. 2, the target 206 may not be within the line of
sight of the radar. In the maritime context, this may occur due to
the curvature of the earth as depicted at 208. Since the earth is
curved, over long distances the ocean may curve as well.
In one or more examples, the electromagnetic waves 204 emanating
from antenna 202 can travel in a straight line path. For distances
closer to the antenna 202, the waves 204 can travel along the
surface of the earth's curvature 208. However, over longer
distances, while the electromagnetic waves 204 may travel in a
straight line path, the earth will begin to curve away from the
straight line path. If a target, such as target 206 is positioned
far enough away from the antenna, the earth's curvature may take
the target 206 out of the straight line path of the electromagnetic
wave 204. This can mean that the electromagnetic energy 204 may
never impinge or strike the target 206, thus making it undetectable
to the radar system 200.
Thus in the maritime context, radars may only be able to range
targets that are closer to the transmit antenna 202 (i.e., within
its line of sight). Because of the earth's curvature, and the
straight line propagation of electromagnetic energy, the radar
system 200 may not be able to detect targets that are further out
than the line of sight of the radar.
One way to counteract this phenomenon is to position the antenna at
a higher location and point it at a downward angle, so as to ensure
that the antenna can have line of sight with respect to targets
further afield. However, positioning the antenna at a higher
elevation can require a location such as a hill or cliff, or can
even require that the radar be mounted to a flying object such as
an airplane. Such an accommodation may not be possible, or may make
implementing a maritime system unfeasible.
While electromagnetic energy at most frequencies in the spectrum
exhibit the straight line propagation properties described above,
some electromagnetic energy may include specific properties that
don't conform to the straight line propagation model. As an
example, electromagnetic waves in the HF spectrum, instead of
propagating in a straight line, may instead allow favorable
conditions for propagation as surface waves.
Electromagnetic waves in the HF spectrum (3-30 MHz) has been known
to propagate over long distances and can illuminate maritime
targets over long distances due to their ability to couple well to
the conducting ocean surface. In other words, HF waves have the
unique property in that rather than traveling in a straight line in
a maritime scenario, they are able to propagate along the surface
of the water in the ocean, and can also follow the earth's
curvature, thus being able to illuminate targets that may not be in
the line of sight of the antenna. This property of HF waves can
allow for a radar system that transmits and receives HF waves to
view targets that may be out of the line of sight of the radar due
to the earth's curvature. However, as discussed in detail below,
the use of HF waves in a radar system can pose its own unique set
of challenges that must be overcome in order to make HF radar
systems an effective tool for the detection of maritime
targets.
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary over-the-horizon radar system
according to examples of the disclosure. In the example of FIG. 3,
the radar system 300 can transmit electromagnetic waves in the HF
spectrum so that rather than propagating in a straight line, the
waves can follow the path of the ocean surface and thus follow the
curvature of the earth's surface.
Just like the examples of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the radar system 300
can include an antenna 302 that transmits electromagnetic waves to
illuminate potential targets. However, in the example of FIG. 3,
the antenna 302 can be configured to transmit electromagnetic waves
in the HF frequency spectrum (the structure of the antenna will be
discussed in further detail below.) By using the HF spectrum, the
waves 304 can propagate along the curvature 310 of the earth's
surface (i.e., propagating along the surface of the water). In this
way, the waves 304 can illuminate target 306 even though target 306
may not be within the line of sight of the antenna.
Once the waves 304 illuminate target 306, they can be reflected
back toward the antenna. Since the transmitted waves 304 were in
the HF spectrum, the reflected waves 308 can also be in the HF
spectrum and thus can also follow the curvature 310 of the earth's
surface eventually arriving back at antenna 302. In this way,
antenna 302 can receive the reflected waves 308 that are reflected
from target 306 and thus can generate range, position, and velocity
information about target 306.
Due to the electromagnetic environment present in maritime
environments, HF radar system may have to utilize a transmitter
with a large amount of power so as to get an SNR that is large
enough so as to discern reflected waves from other electromagnetic
sources. Furthermore, since the HF radar system may be used to scan
for targets that are at great distances, often times, the beam of
electromagnetic energy emanating from the antenna may be narrow (in
terms of beam width), to ensure accuracy in pinpointing the
location of an illuminated target.
In order to have a narrow beam so as to ensure accuracy in
pinpointing targets, conventional HF systems can deploy large
antennas that can occupy a significant amount of space. Using a
large antenna can allow for a HF system to transmit a narrow beam
that can be scanned across an environment to look for targets of
interest and determine their location with sufficient accuracy.
However, in order to implement a HF surface wave system with a
large antenna, a user of the system must secure a large tract of
land on which to set up the large transmit and receive antennas
necessary to implement the system.
It would be beneficial to use a smaller more compact antenna to
implement a HF surface wave radar; however the performance of such
an antenna may not be adequate to accurately determine the
position, range, and velocity of a target. For instance, a smaller
antenna may have a larger beam width than a large antenna. The
wider beam can make it more difficult to differentiate targets that
may be co-located in azimuth. Thus, in order to implement a HF
surface wave antenna that uses a compact or smaller antenna, a
method for accurately estimating the position of a target based on
the received signals is needed to overcome the limitations
associated with a wide beam width may be required.
FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary HF vector surface array antenna
according to examples of the disclosure. The antenna 400 can occupy
a smaller footprint and be of a smaller size than conventional HF
surface wave antennas. In one or more examples, the antenna 400 can
be approximately eight feet high and can be approximately six feet
wide and six feet in length. In contrast, conventional HF surface
wave receive antennas can be, in one or more examples, ten meters
tall. In order to facilitate accurate estimation of the position of
a target, the antenna 400 can have a plurality of conductive
elements that can be collectively arranged to facilitate accurate
estimation of a target illuminated by a surface wave radar.
In one or more examples of the disclosure, the antenna 400 can be
implemented as a vector sensor array. A vector sensor array antenna
can include a plurality of conducting elements that collectively
receive signals in a particular beam pattern and width. The
plurality of elements can be used for beamforming and can also
increase the gain of antenna in certain directions while decreasing
the gain of the antenna in other direction (i.e., beamforming). In
the example of FIG. 4, the antenna 400 can include six separate
conductive elements 402, 404, 406, 408, 410, and 412.
Elements 402, 404, and 406 can be implanted as loop antennas that
can be arranged orthogonally with respect to one another. Elements
408, 410, and 412 can be implemented as dipole antennas that are
also arranged orthogonally to one another. In this way, antenna 402
can include six separate conducting elements that can be used to
form a beam of a particular width and direction for the purpose of
ranging over the horizon targets. Each of the elements 402, 404,
406, 408, 410, and 412 can provide six separate channels of signal
data that can be used to over-sense a received electromagnetic
field (that could include reflections from an illuminated target).
Elements 402, 404, and 406 can generate magnetic field readings,
while the dipoles 408, 410, and 412 can generate electric field
readings. As discussed in detail below, these six channels can be
used to generate a Poynting vector that can then be used to
estimate the location of an illuminated target.
In one or more examples, elements 402, 404, 406, 408, and 410 can
collect electromagnetic energy in different polarizations such as
vertical, horizontal, and circular. In the context of surface wave
detection, and especially in maritime environments, the waves
propagating from a transmitting antenna and reflecting back from a
target can be substantially vertically polarized. Thus, since
surface waves are the only waves of interest in a maritime OTH
radar, the only energy of concern is any energy that is vertically
polarized. Thus, in one or more examples, the antenna 400 can be
configured to substantially reject electromagnetic energy that is
received at the antenna and is either circularly polarized or
horizontally polarized. Rejecting both circularly and horizontally
polarized signals can help to reduce noise signals collected by the
antenna 400 during operation of the antenna.
As discussed above, while using a more compact antenna can be more
convenient in terms of space and footprint, and the beam width of
such an antenna may be wider when compared to a HF antenna array
that is large in size. As an example, the beam width of antenna 400
discussed above can be approximately 160.degree. degrees.
Furthermore, a smaller antenna may not have as good gain/efficiency
when compared to a larger antenna. Thus in order to get accurate
range and location estimates regarding a target, the radar system
can include one or more front-end components (described in detail
below) that can be used to maximize the SNR of the signal and
filter the received signal to eliminate as much noise as possible
while also amplifying the signal of interest. The front-end signal
processing components can work in conjunction with a data analysis
method to yield accurate location information about maritime
targets illuminated by a HF surface waver radar.
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary front-end signal processing system
according to examples of the disclosure. In the example of FIG. 5,
the system 500 can include an antenna 502 that is configured in the
same manner as the antenna 400 discussed above with respect to FIG.
4 and thus a discussion of the configuration of the antenna 502 can
be found above in the corresponding discussion of antenna 400. As
explained above with respect to FIG. 4, antenna 502 can include six
separate receiving elements configured to receiving electromagnetic
radiation. The example of FIG. 5 can represent the receive
front-end electronics associated with a single channel of the six
channels of antenna 502. The complete front-end electronics for the
radar system can include a separate set of front-end electronics
for each separate channel, wherein each and every set is
substantially similar to the system 500 depicted in FIG. 5.
Thus, for a single channel of the six channels outputted by antenna
502, the signal can first be processed by low noise amplifier (LNA)
504 that can amplify the signal to a higher power level so as to
help make processing the signal easier to accomplish. Once the
signal outputted from antenna 502 has been amplified, the signal
can then be put through a narrowband filter 506 that can
substantially remove any frequency content that is adjacent to the
HF frequency band and can remove any non-linearities that may have
been introduced to the signal by the LNA 504.
After filtering the signal using narrowband filter 506, the signal
can then be passed through another LNA 508 for further
amplification. By employing a first LNA 504, followed by a filter
506, before introducing the signal to the second LNA 508, any
non-linearities (such as intermodulation products) caused by the
amplification can be substantially reduced. After passing through
LNA 508, the signal can pass through a variable attenuator 510. The
variable attenuator can act to help balance the individual channels
and reduce the power of the signal so as to not saturate the LNAs
further in the signal path.
After passing through variable attenuator 510, the signal can pass
through LNA 512, a passive attenuator 374 (to keep the LNA from
saturating), another LNA 516, and another passive attenuator 518,
until finally the signal reaches filter 520. Filter 520 can be
configured to pass signals in the HF frequency range, while
substantially attenuating signals outside of the HF frequency
range. Finally, after passing through filter 520, the signal can be
input into a receiver 522.
It should be noted that receiver 520, in one or more examples, can
be common to all six of the channels output at antenna 502, and
thus the receiver 522 can receive the processed signals from the
other five antenna channels as shown at 524. Once the receiver 522
receives signals from each six antenna channels, the receiver can
use that data to determine the presence of illuminated targets, and
also can use the data to determine the approximate location of the
targets. However, since the beam width of the compact antenna can
be large (especially as compared to a large HF surface wave radar)
pinpointing the location of a target using data collected at a
compact antenna can be challenging. In order to use a compact
antenna in a HF surface wave radar system, further processing of
the six signals received at receiver 522 may be required as
described in further detail below.
For instance, in one or more examples, the relationship between the
data acquired by the receive antenna and the angle of a target can
be exploited to determine target locations. In one more examples,
the equation 1 below can represent the relationship between data
acquired by a receiving antenna and the signal (i.e., reflection)
received from a target.
.function. .times..times..function..theta..PHI.
.times..times..times..beta..function..alpha..gamma.
.times..times..times..function. .function. .times..times.
##EQU00001##
In the above equation y(l) can represent the data acquired by the
receive antenna as a function of time (l). The constant C can
represent the calibration vector (described in further below).
A(.theta.,.PHI.) can represent a steering matrix of the antenna.
The steering matrix represents the direction/angle at which a
particular signal is impinging upon the antenna. In the example of
equation 1, the steering matrix A can be a function of .theta.
which can represent the azimuth angle of the signal, and .PHI.
which can represent the elevation angle of the signal being
detected at the antenna.
.beta.(.alpha.,.gamma.), in one or more examples can represent the
polarization matrix of the incoming signal. In other words
.beta.(.alpha.,.gamma.) can represent the effects of polarization
can have on the aggregate signal y(l) In the example of equation 1,
the polarization matrix can be a function of the ellipticity
.alpha. and the .gamma. of the signal. Also in equation 1, s(l) can
represent the signal being received from a target that is oriented
with respect to the antenna at an azimuth .theta. and an elevation
of angle .PHI.. As will be discussed in further detail below, s(l)
be solved for in the equation above (with assumptions being made
about the other variables) to determine if a target exists at a
particular azimuth and elevation. Finally in the above equation
n(l) can represent the noise. In one or more examples, it can be
assumed that the noise is zero mean white Gaussian noise, but other
assumptions can be made depending on a priori knowledge of the
noise environment.
When the antenna is in operation, the above equation can be used to
determine and identify the location of targets that have been
illuminated by the radar. During operation of the antenna, the
signal y(l), the calibration vector c, the polarization matrix
.beta. can all be known. The signal y(l) of course represents the
data taken from the system. As discussed above, the only signals of
interest can be vertically polarized and thus the other
polarizations can be ignored thus allowing for the polarization
matrix .beta. to be a known quantity. The calibration vector c can
be determined through a calibration procedure that can be performed
prior to the operation of the antenna. In one or more examples, the
calibration matrix (i.e., vector) can be generated by generating a
steering vector to maximize the amplitude of known sources (that
are placed at a particular location and range) that are used during
the calibration process.
Thus, the only unknowns of equation 1 that are unknown is the
steering matrix A(.theta.,.PHI.) and the signal s(l) generated by a
target located at a particular azimuth and elevation. In order to
determine the location of a target, in one or more examples, a
process can be implemented wherein the azimuth and elevation angles
of a steering matrix are swept, and the signal s(l) solved for. In
one or more examples, if the resultant s(l) is above a
pre-determined threshold at a particular value of azimuth and
elevation angle, then the process can determine that a target
likely exists at that particular location (i.e., at the particular
azimuth and elevation angle.)
FIGS. 6A-6B illustrate an exemplary process for processing a
plurality of data signals received at a vector surface array
according to examples of the disclosure. In the example of FIG. 6A,
the process 600 can begin at step 602 with the antenna receiving
raw data on both the in-phase (I) and quadrature phase (q)
channels. Once the data has been received at step 602, the process
can move to step 604 wherein the received signal undergoes time
alignment so as to synchronize the received signal (in terms of
phase) with the receiver electronics described above with respect
to FIG. 5. In one or more examples, time alignment step 604 may be
unnecessary if the receiver is already synchronized with the
transmitter that transmitted the radar wave.
Once the received data has undergone time alignment at step 604,
the process can then move to step 606, wherein the received signal
can undergo pulse compression using a transmit replica waveform.
Pulse compression can refer to a process by which a transmitted
pulse is modulated and then the received signal is correlated with
the transmitted pulse so as to enhance range resolution and improve
the overall signal to noise ratio of the received signal. In the
case of step 606, the received signal can be correlated with a
transmit replica waveform so as to facilitate pulse
compression.
After pulse compression at step 606, the process 600 can move to
step 608 wherein the calibration matrix calculated earlier (as
discussed above) can be applied to the received signal. At this
point in the process 600, and referring to equation 1, the received
signal y(l) has been acquired (and process to improve SNR), and the
calibration matrix has been applied. The only unknowns are the
signals being reflected back by the target and the
azimuth/elevation angle of the target.
Thus, once the calibration has been applied at step 608, the
process can move to step 610, wherein the any horizontal or
circularly polarized signals can be rejected. As discussed above,
as surface waves can be transmitted in only the vertical
polarization, any signals received by a receive antenna in the
horizontal and/or vertical polarizations are likely not of interest
and thus can be rejected at step 610. Once the unwanted
polarizations have been rejected at step 610, the process 600 can
move to step 614 (as depicted in FIG. 6B.) At step 614, the process
600 can make an assumption about the azimuth and elevation angle of
a target, and then (in a subsequent step described below) use
equation 1 above to solve for s(l) using the assumption about the
azimuth and elevation angle. If a true target is reflecting back
surface waves to the receiving antenna from a particular azimuth
and elevation angle, then when the steering matrix is set to the
corresponding azimuth and elevation angle, the signal s(l) will
yield a higher value for a given y(l). Thus, in the absence of
knowledge of the location of targets, if the steering matrix is
swept over a range of azimuth values and a range of elevation
angles, the magnitude of s(l) that can be solved for can indicate
whether a target exists at that particular azimuth and elevation
angle.
In one or more examples, at step 614, using an assumed azimuth and
elevation angle, a steering vector can be generated. Once the
steering vector has been generated at step 614, the process can
move to step 616 wherein the generated steering vector can be used
to solve for s(l) using equation 1 described above. Once s(l) at
the assumed azimuth and elevation angle is determined, it can be
stored in a memory for later processing (as will be described
below.)
Once the s(l) corresponding to a particular azimuth and elevation
angle has been determined and stored at step 616, the process can
move step 618 wherein a determination can be made as to whether the
sweep of the azimuth and elevation angles has been completed. In
one or more examples, and as discussed above, a vector surface
array antenna such as the one discussed above with respect to FIG.
4 can have a beam width associated with it. While the antenna may
receive signals from any direction, the steering vector/matrix can
impose a limited beam width such that only targets within the beam
width are analyzed. Accordingly, the antenna may only be able to
capture targets that are within a specific range of azimuth and
range of elevation angles. Thus, in order to effectively sweep the
steering matrix, each and every combination of azimuth and
elevation angles should be considered when trying to solve for s(l)
and determine whether any targets are present at the set value for
azimuth and elevation.
At step 618, determining whether a sweep of the steering matrix is
complete can thus include determine if each possible combination of
azimuth and elevation angle has been used to generate a value for
s(l). If at step 618 it is determined that the sweep has not been
completed, then the process can move to step 620 wherein the
azimuth and/or the elevation angle can be adjusted, and the process
at step 614 can be repeated using the new azimuth or elevation
angle. The process steps 614 and 616 can be repeated for each and
every combination of azimuth and elevation angle until an s(l)
value has been determined for each and every combination of azimuth
and elevation angle.
Once the determination has been made that the sweep is complete at
step 618, the process can move to step 622 wherein each value of
s(l) determined and stored at step 616 can be used to determine if
there is a target at a particular azimuth and elevation angle. In
one or more examples, if the amplitude of the s(l) corresponding to
a particular azimuth and elevation angle is above a pre-determined
threshold then the process 600 at step 622 can determine that there
is a target located at that particular azimuth and elevation angle.
The amplitude of each s(l) can be compared against the
pre-determined threshold, and if the amplitude is found to be
greater than the pre-determined value, then the azimuth and
elevation angle corresponding to the value of s(l) can be indicated
as a location of a likely target.
The process described with respect to FIGS. 6A-6B can allow for a
small antenna that thus has a wide beam width to be used for the
detection of maritime targets. In contrast to large HF antenna
systems that use large footprint antennas to propagate and receive
narrow beam width transmissions, the process 600 described above
can allow for a smaller antenna with a wide beam width to be used
to detect maritime targets using HF surface waves.
FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a computing device in accordance
with one embodiment. Device 700 can be a host computer connected to
a network. Device 700 can be a client computer or a server. As
shown in FIG. 7, device 700 can be any suitable type of
microprocessor-based device, such as a personal computer,
workstation, server, or handheld computing device (portable
electronic device), such as a phone or tablet. The device can
include, for example, one or more of processors 710, input device
706, output device 708, storage 710, and communication device 704.
Input device 706 and output device 708 can generally correspond to
those described above and can either be connectable or integrated
with the computer.
Input device 706 can be any suitable device that provides input,
such as a touch screen, keyboard or keypad, mouse, or
voice-recognition device. Output device 708 can be any suitable
device that provides output, such as a touch screen, haptics
device, or speaker.
Storage 710 can be any suitable device that provides storage, such
as an electrical, magnetic, or optical memory, including a RAM,
cache, hard drive, or removable storage disk. Communication device
704 can include any suitable device capable of transmitting and
receiving signals over a network, such as a network interface chip
or device. The components of the computer can be connected in any
suitable manner, such as via a physical bus or wirelessly.
Software 712, which can be stored in storage 710 and executed by
processor 702, can include, for example, the programming that
embodies the functionality of the present disclosure (e.g., as
embodied in the devices as described above).
Software 712 can also be stored and/or transported within any
non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use by or in
connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or
device, such as those described above, that can fetch instructions
associated with the software from the instruction execution system,
apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. In the context
of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium can be any
medium, such as storage 710, that can contain or store programming
for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system,
apparatus, or device.
Software 712 can also be propagated within any transport medium for
use by or in connection with an instruction execution system,
apparatus, or device, such as those described above, that can fetch
instructions associated with the software from the instruction
execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the
instructions. In the context of this disclosure, a transport medium
can be any medium that can communicate, propagate, or transport
programming for use by or in connection with an instruction
execution system, apparatus, or device. The transport readable
medium can include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic,
optical, electromagnetic, or infrared wired or wireless propagation
medium.
Device 700 may be connected to a network, which can be any suitable
type of interconnected communication system. The network can
implement any suitable communications protocol and can be secured
by any suitable security protocol. The network can comprise network
links of any suitable arrangement that can implement the
transmission and reception of network signals, such as wireless
network connections, T1 or T3 lines, cable networks, DSL, or
telephone lines.
Device 700 can implement any operating system suitable for
operating on the network. Software 712 can be written in any
suitable programming language, such as C, C++, Java, or Python. In
various embodiments, application software embodying the
functionality of the present disclosure can be deployed in
different configurations, such as in a client/server arrangement or
through a Web browser as a Web-based application or Web service,
for example.
According to some examples of the disclosure, a radar system
configured to determine a location of a target using received
surface waves can include, an antenna, wherein the antenna includes
a plurality of components configured to receive one or more surface
waves; a receiver, wherein the receiver is configured to receive
and process one or more signals received by the plurality of
components of the antenna; a memory; and one or more processors,
wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute
instructions stored on the memory that when executed by the
processor cause the device to: set a first azimuth value and a
first elevation angle; generate a first steering vector, wherein
the first steering vector is generated based on the first azimuth
value and the first elevation angle; determine an amplitude of a
first target signal based on the generated first steering vector
and the one or more signals received at the antenna; compare the
determined first target signal with a pre-determined threshold; and
if the determined amplitude of the first target signal is found to
be greater than the pre-determined threshold, then determine that a
first target exists at a first location associated with the first
azimuth value and the first elevation angle value. In one or more
examples of the disclosure, the processor further causes the device
to: set a second azimuth value and a second elevation angle;
generate a second steering vector, wherein the second steering
vector is generated based on the second azimuth value and the
second elevation angle; determine an amplitude of a second target
signal based on the generated second steering vector and the one or
more signals received at the antenna; compare the determined second
target signal with the pre-determined threshold; and if the
determined amplitude of the second target signal is found to be
greater than the pre-determined threshold, then determine that a
second target exists at a second location associated with the
second azimuth value and the second elevation angle value. In one
or more examples of the disclosure, the plurality of components of
the antenna comprises: a plurality of loop antennas arranged
orthogonally with respect to one another, and wherein the plurality
of loop antennas are configured to generate one or more magnetic
field readings; and a plurality of dipole antennas arranged
orthogonally with respect to one another, and wherein the plurality
of dipole antennas are configured to generate one or more
electrical field readings. In one or more examples of the
disclosure, each signal processing front-end is coupled to the
receiver. In one or more examples, the plurality of loop antennas
and the plurality of dipole antennas are configured to receive
electromagnetic energy in the high frequency (HF) signal spectrum.
In one or more examples, the receiver is configured to reject
horizontal and circularly polarized signals received from the
plurality of loop antennas and the plurality of dipole antennas. In
one or more examples, the processor further causes the device to
apply pulse compression to the received one or more surface waves.
In one or more examples, determining an amplitude of a first target
signal is based on a calibration vector associated with the
antenna. In one or more examples, the processor further causes the
device to apply a time alignment process to the received one or
more surface waves.
According to some examples of the disclosure, a method for
determining a location of a target based on surface received on the
radar system comprises, setting a first azimuth value and a first
elevation angle; generating a first steering vector, wherein the
first steering vector is generated based on the first azimuth value
and the first elevation angle; determining an amplitude of a first
target signal based on the generated first steering vector and one
or more signals received at an antenna; comparing the determined
first target signal with a pre-determined threshold; and if the
determined amplitude of the first target signal is found to be
greater than the pre-determined threshold, then determining that a
first target exists at a first location associated with the first
azimuth value and the first elevation angle value. In one or more
examples of the disclosure, the method further comprises: setting a
second azimuth value and a second elevation angle; generating a
second steering vector, wherein the second steering vector is
generated based on the second azimuth value and the second
elevation angle; determining an amplitude of a second target signal
based on the generated second steering vector and the one or more
signals received at the antenna; comparing the determined second
target signal with the pre-determined threshold; and if the
determined amplitude of the second target signal is found to be
greater than the pre-determined threshold, then determine that a
second target exists at a second location associated with the
second azimuth value and the second elevation angle value. In one
or more examples of the disclosure, the plurality of components of
the antenna comprises: a plurality of loop antennas arranged
orthogonally with respect to one another, and wherein the plurality
of loop antennas are configured to generate one or more magnetic
field readings; and a plurality of dipole antennas arranged
orthogonally with respect to one another, and wherein the plurality
of dipole antennas are configured to generate one or more
electrical field readings. In one or more examples of the
disclosure, each signal processing front-end is coupled to the
receiver. In one or more examples, the plurality of loop antennas
and the plurality of dipole antennas are configured to receive
electromagnetic energy in the high frequency (HF) signal spectrum.
In one or more examples, the receiver is configured to reject
horizontal and circularly polarized signals received from the
plurality of loop antennas and the plurality of dipole antennas. In
one or more examples, the processor further causes the device to
apply pulse compression to the received one or more surface waves.
In one or more examples, determining an amplitude of a first target
signal is based on a calibration vector associated with the
antenna. In one or more examples, the processor further causes the
device to apply a time alignment process to the received one or
more surface waves.
According to some examples of the disclosure, a non-transitory
computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the
one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed
by an electronic device with one or more processors and memory,
cause the device to, set a first azimuth value and a first
elevation angle; generate a first steering vector, wherein the
first steering vector is generated based on the first azimuth value
and the first elevation angle; determine an amplitude of a first
target signal based on the generated first steering vector and one
or more signals received at an antenna; compare the determined
first target signal with a pre-determined threshold; and if the
determined amplitude of the first target signal is found to be
greater than the pre-determined threshold, then determining that a
first target exists at a first location associated with the first
azimuth value and the first elevation angle value. In one or more
examples of the disclosure, the device is further caused to: set a
second azimuth value and a second elevation angle; generate a
second steering vector, wherein the second steering vector is
generated based on the second azimuth value and the second
elevation angle; determine an amplitude of a second target signal
based on the generated second steering vector and the one or more
signals received at the antenna; compare the determined second
target signal with the pre-determined threshold; and if the
determined amplitude of the second target signal is found to be
greater than the pre-determined threshold, then determine that a
second target exists at a second location associated with the
second azimuth value and the second elevation angle value. In one
or more examples of the disclosure, the plurality of components of
the antenna comprises: a plurality of loop antennas arranged
orthogonally with respect to one another, and wherein the plurality
of loop antennas are configured to generate one or more magnetic
field readings; and a plurality of dipole antennas arranged
orthogonally with respect to one another, and wherein the plurality
of dipole antennas are configured to generate one or more
electrical field readings. In one or more examples of the
disclosure, each signal processing front-end is coupled to the
receiver. In one or more examples, the plurality of loop antennas
and the plurality of dipole antennas are configured to receive
electromagnetic energy in the high frequency (HF) signal spectrum.
In one or more examples, the receiver is configured to reject
horizontal and circularly polarized signals received from the
plurality of loop antennas and the plurality of dipole antennas. In
one or more examples, the processor further causes the device to
apply pulse compression to the received one or more surface waves.
In one or more examples, determining an amplitude of a first target
signal is based on a calibration vector associated with the
antenna. In one or more examples, the processor further causes the
device to apply a time alignment process to the received one or
more surface waves.
The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has been
described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the
illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or
to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many
modifications and variations are possible in view of the above
teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to
best explain the principles of the techniques and their practical
applications. Others skilled in the art are thereby enabled to best
utilize the techniques and various embodiments with various
modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
Although the disclosure and examples have been fully described with
reference to the accompanying figures, it is to be noted that
various changes and modifications will become apparent to those
skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be
understood as being included within the scope of the disclosure and
examples as defined by the claims.
This application discloses several numerical ranges in the text and
figures. The numerical ranges disclosed inherently support any
range or value within the disclosed numerical ranges, including the
endpoints, even though a precise range limitation is not stated
verbatim in the specification because this disclosure can be
practiced throughout the disclosed numerical ranges.
The above description is presented to enable a person skilled in
the art to make and use the disclosure and is provided in the
context of a particular application and its requirements. Various
modifications to the preferred embodiments will be readily apparent
to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined
herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without
departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Thus, this
disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown
but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the
principles and features disclosed herein. Finally, the entire
disclosure of the patents and publications referred in this
application are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
* * * * *